Beirut, Lebanon – February 25, 2019: With the Lebanese Government being formed and its 100 days challenge to find solutions for the country’s most complicated issues including electricity, companies like Hawa Akkar are working relentlessly to provide the citizens of Lebanon and the country a brighter and clean future.
Hawa Akkar is a Lebanese company founded in 2008 by Albert Khoury – a young Lebanese entrepreneur who realized that the electricity problem in the country is one of the main causes of the country’s budget deficit, that has exceeded 36 billion dollars over the past 26 years. Also, the quality of air inhaled by the Lebanese, which surpassed all internationally accepted levels of pollution due to the high percentages of toxic and carcinogenic substances, resulting from the density of generators all over the country.
The company was established with the aim of pioneering the production of cheap but clean energy from the wind in Lebanon. Akkar was selected for its wind quality at a speed of 9 meters per second, making it ideal for wind power generation.
After obtaining the necessary licenses and completing the required studies, the project is set to produce about 68 megawatts of energy, sufficient to provide about 100,000 homes with their electricity needs. The company will link the project to the national power grid owned by EDL, which will buy energy at a very low price compared to the prices paid by EDL to buy energy from ships or generated by expensive fuel. Lebanon is planning to acquire 12% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020.
As for the planning and implementation phase, Ramboll & Mores have been appointed to assess the potential impacts of the project through undertaking an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA). ESIA is designed to meet the requirements of the Ministry of the Environment in Lebanon, as well as UNDP’s CEDRE, the World Bank, IFC and EBRD. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has launched during their visit to Lebanon early February an E&S due diligence process, and is considering to finance Hawa Akkar after compiling all the needed requirements.
The first wind turbine will be installed by mid-2020. The project will comprise 16 turbines, each with a height of 125 meters.
The company is holding ongoing meetings with local communities to provide full information about the project, attend to the observations and opinions of the wind farm neighbors, and announce many local projects that will be launched alongside the main project, presenting the local communities with lucrative work opportunities and moral support.